Rose shakes her head, but she doesn’t answer back or shout. Normally my sister is the fierce one out of the two of us, but something about Hati makes her fall silent. I decide to speak for her. “You’ll have to take all three of us. Rose isn’t going anywhere without me and Win.”

Hati scowls. “No. I only want her.” She strokes the snout of an almost black wolf, the smallest in the pack. “Flea is not a pup anymore. I need a new runt.”

My sister, a runt? It seems ridiculous but next to me Rose is shrinking back, trying to make herself invisible.

And that’s when I see something. A large chunk of ice is floating down the river. It spins for a moment before bouncing off a rock and drifting toward us.

Win’s seen it too, but Hati is too busy staring at Rose to notice it.

I reach behind Rose and tug on Win’s cloak. It’s not much of a signal, but I’m hoping he’ll understand that the piece of ice could rescue us.

“Rose!” shouts Hati. Instantly Rose looks up. “Come here. Now.”

And I actually feel Rose move to step forward. It’s like she’s hypnotized by Hati’s cold eyes and voice. I hold on tight to her sleeve. The flat piece of ice is drifting past us.

“Go!” I shout to Win, and he turns and leaps. He smacks down on the ice, his fingertips gripping the sides, his feet trailing in the dark water. His weight makes the ice spin a little closer to me and Rose.

“Rose, jump!” I shout, but she just stands there as if she’s frozen to the ground, so I shove her and I see the look of shock on her face as she tumbles backward, arms scrabbling at the air. She lands half in the water, but Win’s already grabbed hold of her and is pulling her up next to him.

Now it’s my turn. I start to run.

“Come on, Arthur!” Win shouts. The chunk of ice must have caught in a current because it’s picking up speed. I run alongside them on the slippery ledge. I have to jump now before they disappear into the tunnel . . . but the gap has gotten wider. I can’t make it!

I hear Hati’s whistle and see a flash of black fur as Flea leaps after me.

I jump. I have no choice.

I fall into the freezing water. The shock is instant, like concrete slamming into my body. I can’t breathe. I can’t think. But then I feel hands grabbing my shoulders, pulling me out of the water. And something else. A jabbing pain in my ankle.